1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle seat assemblies, and more particularly, to a seat cushion support arrangement for vehicle seat assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposals to form the seat part of a vehicle seat of a springable seat shell which is connected in its front region to an underframe and on which a cushion pad is placed.
A disadvantage of this is the need for the frame surrounding the seat on all sides, to which an upper part of the running or sliding rail required for longitudinal adjustment of the seat is secured, this rail being relatively long, corresponding to the length of the frame. This leads to high costs for the parts needed, which are mounted parallel to one another, so that the weight and also the purchase price are unavoidably high, which is a particular disadvantage for vehicle manufacture.
The invention has as its object to provide a light-weight seat for motor vehicles that does not need such massive and heavy main parts to achieve a high level of seating comfort.
Particular advantages obtained with the invention are that the upper parts of the side running or sliding rails are also used for the longitudinal side connections for the seat, so that there is no need for the conventional frame and a less costly and lighter-weight construction is obtained without the stability and seating comfort being impaired.
In accordance with the invention a mounting means for effective lateral support of the cushion is provided. Further in accordance with the invention, an underneath connection of the cushion at the front and sides of the seat is provided by a retaining hoop.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the drawings and will now be described in more detail.